1 A New Home
by lucycoralofficial
Summary: One-shots sequeling the story I wrote 'Hesitate no more' where Dick is left to endure life without Bruce for years making him a different person. This is to explore how friendships will be different. You will want to read the first story though, because things won't make any sense. Rated T- for mentions of self-harm and death.
1. Traught - The Nightmare

**My other story may not be complete but it is in my head-don't ask, it's enemy territory. I wanted the explore how it affected BW and his relationships with his team so I wrote these one shots.**

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**1—Artemis**

She didn't know what she was doing, but she was doing it before she tried to think twice. The dreams were scaring her and swallowing her whole and she needed some sort of release, she had turned to anger of course. It was her natural reaction but this time she was angry at herself and it was only a vicious circle. It froze her to the spot with fear, rendering her useless and in battle, she couldn't have that. The last she wanted was for the nightmares to become real and so she took the opportunity the second Boy Wonder was in the mountain to grab his hand as she walked past him and drag the tired teenager after her.

"Did you break the training program again?" He spluttered in surprise as he regained his composure and donned that annoying smirk that made her shudder.

"No, I need to talk to you." She snapped and dragged him into the soundproof room Canary used.

No, she couldn't talk to Canary, she'd tell Batman and he'd…wait so why was he telling Batman's own protégé? Without an answer for herself, she fazed back in reality to remind herself that there was a high chance the ebony team-mate could relate and understand. It was just something behind the childish and immature behaviour that told her he was old; it was the kind of old that came from growing up too damn fast in Gotham.

"Er, Artemis?" He waved his hand in front of her face, breaking her from her internal argument.

"Sit down and listen to what I have to say."

"Okay, can I say first? Wally did it not me."

"What?"

"I don't know. What did I do? What did he do?"

"Okay shut up, sit down and listen."

"Sure thing." He fell into one of the two chairs and looked expectantly to the blonde archer.

"I need to rant, to vent, I need someone to listen." She said simply since she had no other way to put it.

He shifted in his seat; for a second Artemis thought he would leave but he leant forwards with his elbows on his knees and the smirk faded to a comforting smile. "I'm honoured you chose me as your confidant. Go ahead."

She took a breath and swallowed, "I'm having these nightmares, where I lose everything, everyone dies and it's my fault. There are always different scenarios and yet it's always the same in that I freeze. I have a chance to save them all but I stop, I get scared and I just can't move. During the day, when I remember the dream, I'm overcome by the same feeling again and I'm frozen to the spot with fear. My nerves are fraying and I know that'll it will happen in a mission and I'll let the team down, more than that I'll be letting my friends down. I'll put them in so much danger and then my fears will come true."

He nodded slowly, considering it and Artemis almost screamed at him until he spoke. "It's normal."

"Which bit?"

"To be afraid of losing those we love. You try and separate yourselves from everyone else so you don't have to endure the loss. However, you cannot _avoid _loving your own mother and there is a mutual trust in the team that no one wants to break. The nightmares are normal but it's when you over think them and let the guilt consume you when they begin to plague your life. I totally understand, I lost my parents and blamed myself for years. I had seen the murder, I should've known something was up, I should have warned them and so on. I was only eight and I let everything weigh me down. I spoke to no one, I suppressed every feeling and that hurt a lot when it became too much. I didn't have anyone to call a weakness but I had a soft spot for those like me.

"I never wanted another kid to end as screwed up as I did. Part of me died and I found I couldn't feel anything because I had denied myself to feel that guilt and pain and bottled it up inside of me instead. When I started to struggle I turned to self-harm finding that feeling pain eased everything. Living on the street, suffering alone, was the worst thing but I thought I deserved it because I knew I had killed my parents. I had lost them because I hadn't down anything. After a few years of that emptiness there was nothing of me left. I wasn't living for myself and I had no one else to live for. I had no idea why I hadn't just killed myself.

"The answer was that I was helping. Every man I saved was someone's father and every woman was someone's mother. Not only had I saved that one person but I had spared all those that loved them from the grief and pain I endured. Slowly, Batman drilled it into my head that I needed help. I joined this team and made friends. Before I had no one but now I have all of you and the league to call family. Artemis, you are my reason to live. I reach out to you just like you feel secure enough to reach out to me and we help each other.

"I'm saying this; don't think of it like if you screw up then you lose your mother because it's not like that. Just be glad when you go home tonight that she is happy and you are safe. And you go to bed satisfied that in this team you made a difference if not saved a life. Don't live each second in fear of the inevitable; enjoy your mothers cooking, her cheesy mom jokes that you just have to roll your eyes at. At the end of it all Artemis, yeah things are difficult but would you have it any other way?"

"No." She said, tears coming to her eyes, she jumped over to where he sat and gripped him in a massive hug as tears ran down her face. "Thank you so much Bee, for listening and making me see I was just being stupid."

He didn't argue, knowing that there was no point but the rare kind smile told Artemis what he wanted to say. She wasn't being stupid, she was just being human.

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**I will write more regardless of the reviews but they do help so feel free to write something.**


	2. Traught - Cupid

**I don't own DC.**

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**I've re-uploaded this, no one pointed out all the mistakes I made, this didn't even make any sense in the last bit. You guys should really tell me these things. **

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**2—Artemis, 2**

Artemis came home from a tiring day at Gotham Academy, unlocked her front door and pulled herself into the apartment. She didn't expect the shopping bags on the kitchen side, she'd always done the shopping after Paula's incident, and yet, she was in her chair beaming away at her daughter from the main room.

"Home delivery?"

"Nope, a lovely boy, it was Trace."

Artemis wanted to scream 'Trace! My idol and hero was here in my house and you let him leave without an autograph!' Then she remembered they were team-mates and she had to control her fan girl urges. So instead, she just cleared her throat, "He goes by Robin now, but I guess that's just to select few. How come he was around here?"

Even as she asked, she remembered their confessions in the Canary's session room.

"He said you talked and he wanted to help."

"Did he say what we said?"

"No, he's pretty quiet, really smart though. He stopped the door hinges from creaking, fixed the lid on the toilet and stopped the old bathroom pipes from gurgling in the middle of the night; he said it was something to do with blocked up limescale."

"What can't he do?"

"Cook, apparently, I did ask. But he left a recipe behind...oh, and I almost forgot, delivered your new arrows."

Artemis dug through the bundle noticing a pink arrow and read the note with the infamous scribbles of a marker. 'There's no mission tonight and I'm not putting up with Wally's table manners three weeks in a row. Meet me on the roof opposite Gotham Police station if you're bored too.'

"...he offered to stand in as a tutor if you needed one; it is a lot of fuss paying I guess."

"Yeah, mum. Thanks." Artemis answered, not really listening, Paula noticed and just smiled, "Just give him a kiss to say thanks for the Christmas present."

"Kiss?"

Paula chuckled, and began talking again. Unfortunately, Artemis was caught in a storm of thoughts again, her and Trace, alone, just them, patrolling. She barely heard the last bit her mum said. "You've got a month to wait to open it though; can you wait?"

"Can't wait for the kiss? No, mum." She replied sarcastically, "I feel butterflies already."

"No..." Paula chuckled, "for the Christmas present he left, you'll want to kiss him when you find out what it is, it's ever so expensive and he's a really generous boy. Kiss him on New Year's Eve, the second it turns midnight, promise me."

Artemis rolled her eyes, "I promise."

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**I will write more but please, comment.**

**Skip this next ramble if you were only here for the story; it's not important.**

**I've removed my story Butterfly under a Bat's wing because I had no intention of continuing it, just in case anyone noticed and was like 'Hey! Where'd that go?' I've decided to concentrate on my second AU, not do more than one idea at a time. I will try and get a couple of oneshots up with this idea but I can't promise anything. I'm rambling I know. **


	3. Traught - Patrolling Gotham

**I don't own DC.**

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**3—Artemis, 3**

The sun was just about to set as Boy Wonder waited for Artemis outside the Gotham Police station, she took a second to climb up onto the roof and there he was leaning against the roof access. He smiled at her, glad she decided to join him. She nocked the pink arrow against her bow and aimed for the Boy Wonder. He leant coolly to the side as the arrow lodged itself in the brick. A pink feather came apart from the fletching and drifted to rest on the asphalt of the roof.

"What's wrong cupid? I thought you came here for fun, not violence."

"Okay, if that fun has anything to do with cupid, then I'm leaving. And secondly, violence is fun."

"Then we'll be having a lot of fun." He offered her a file he'd been holding behind his back.

After flicking through she closed it straight away with a grimace, "The Joker's latest string of murders." No one else carved smiles into their victims' screaming faces.

"No, an impersonator, a man named Jake Mitchal, his fingers prints are everywhere. His victim's have been all found in the Candlemaker's estate, no connection between who is targeted, just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"His motive?"

"Attention. He's homeless, he wants to be arrested for the bed and three meals a day."

"So we'll arrest him? Should be easy since he wants to be caught but let's not underestimate him."

He nodded, "He is a killer after all."

"Candlemaker is across the city, this way."

Artemis led the way, dropping into the alleyway to find Boy Wonder ahead of her and waiting patiently. So what she wasn't an acrobat, able to balance on a ledge only ten centimetres wide, or to handspring around opponents in battle. She'd like to see him hit a moving target twenty seven metres away, then again he could he just didn't use a bow and arrow. She muttered to herself about her refined skills as she followed him to a second zeta beam point. They agreed to zeta to the official point, closer to Candlemaker's that would cut their time down about half an hour or more.

The Gotham cliché was a warehouse, probably on the docks in the rain but many run down warehouses sufficed in this respect. Jake Mitchal had a shed. Artemis pulled out the map of crime scenes where the bodies had been found and pin pointed the centre at a block of flats Jake was known to live, however, the files didn't specify what floor or apartment. They'd staked out the front entrance, waiting in the tree line opposite. Artemis was perched in the crook of a branch and Boy Wonder lounged in a y-branch as if it was the most casual thing ever.

"I've spent a lot of time on the street." He would tell her in his defence when she asked and Artemis found herself thinking, _it explains his method of fighting: quick and stealthy because a little kid couldn't win in strength fighting on the street and his brains were refined because you had to be smart or die. _She suddenly didn't feel so untalented around him; she had a good home and good parents while he had been constantly running for his life and still put his life on the line for others like him.

"Are you still on the street?"

"Yes, we're in a tree. Do you have amnesia?"

She rolled her eyes, of course he couldn't answer the simple question, "I mean do you…you won't tell me." She concluded and they fell into silence once more.

Jake Mitchal emerged from the apartment complex and crossed the street walking, perilously close to the treeline, in which the two heroes waited. Artemis nodded at Boy Wonder and he nodded back: that was their guy. They dropped silently onto the grass below and Artemis moved to stalk from the bushes, Boy Wonder only fell into step silently behind their target on the pavement. Sighing quietly at the dramatics, she joined him, drawing an arrow ready and saw Boy Wonder reach for his slingshot out of the corner of her eye.

Jake broke off down another path leading to a row of small garages where residents cars where stored. The target pulled out a key and opened up, what lay within was not a car but a torturer's haven, kitchens knives were scattered over a small table off to the side while in the middle, three chair held victims. One was dead for sure, his eyes wide with fear and unblinking; blood dripped from the lacerations gouged into his mouth as it hung open in a scream cut off in death. However, the other two victims were alive with teary eyes and gagged to stifle their inevitable screams. How had no one heard them? They saw the two heroes following their oblivious captive and their eyes little up with a kindling hope.

Jake noticed them looking over his shoulder and reached for a carving knife as he turned. Artemis stepped forwards, gripped his wrist and pinched the nerve; he dropped the knife and tried to swing at her with his other fist but she blocked that and punched him. It was hard to knock someone out in one punch without damaging the brain but Artemis managed it and Jake Mitchal slumped in the pool of blood of his victim. While Artemis tied him up, Trace freed the two victims and casting a sorry glance at the one had failed to save. Artemis held up a mobile phone swiped from the murderer's pocket and dialled 911.

When the police turned up, they were wary of Artemis but when Boy Wonder stepped forwards, they realised or as much as they could when faced with a disgusting sight such as the garage. The two victim's sat on the edge of an ambulance, wrapped in a blanket and were tended to by paramedics. The Commissioner pulled up in his own car and made his way to greet the two heroes.

"How's your back?" He asked as he surveyed the scene.

"Healing." On seeing Artemis's look, he elaborated with a shrug. "I was blown up."

"It's good to see you don't patrol alone when you're injured." He glanced into his car at his daughter who waved from the back seat.

"Oh he does, I was only invited because Star City is too quiet." Artemis filled in, checking the arrows in her quiver for something to do more than anything.

"Are you off duty?" Trace asked, remembering his daughter to be Ban-Bart-Barbara, that's it.

"Yes, but I wanted to see this impersonator. We have one sick clown in this city; we don't need people mimicking his kills. I hope he's the only one."

"He wanted to go to prison for the food and roof over his head; he's homeless." Artemis explained all Trac had told her, glancing back at the apartment he'd come from, "He's living at his Mother's but they don't get on."

"How did you know?" An officer by the name of Renée Montoya voiced her confusion and where Renée was close, her partner wasn't far behind and Trace knew them both from Batman's word.

Artemis guiltily handed over the file.

"Oh, okay."

"Come on." Trace began to usher Artemis away.

"Why so eager to leave? This is Gotham's problem: you and Batman need to talk more with the police, I know most are corrupt but you have to take the chance otherwise nothing it going to be done about the crime."

"That's Detective Montoya, I have no problem with her but I'm not waiting around for her partner. Bullock does not like us vigilantes, especially Batman."

"Oh, right. Where do we go now? The mou-head quarters or just go our own ways tonight."

"We'll go HQ, we can boast a bit: they have been sitting on their buts for weeks now without a mission."

"I want to make Kid Flash cry." She chuckled, "When we do this again, we'll take a picture and taunt him with it; a nice shot of kneeling on one of those gargoyles looking over the city. You have to admit it's a beautiful city, its dark but if you understand the crime like we do, you can see the beauty. I guess most people would have to get over a fear of heights to be able to see what we see."

"I've never understood the fear of heights." Trace muttered as they walked away together.

"No, I don't imagine you do."

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**There was a long wait for this one but I had been working on the story this is based on and now I have begun a new AU, so check out my profile for Bee Yourself. **

**Thank you for your feedback and support.**


	4. Traught - Tutor

**I don't own DC.**

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**1—Artemis, 3**

Who needed French? It wasn't as if she spoke it or anything. But no, Batman told her that if she couldn't maintain at least a C in each subject then there was no team. It was the only subject she was lacking in. It was a 'D' she had gotten mainly for her attendance. She had been in about four French lessons the whole semester, little did the teacher know but she had been saving Star City, however, the price of a vigilante was bad grades. She asked Superboy and Miss Martian about their grades but they assured her that they had no problem with school and so returned to fixing the bike—and she wasn't going to ask Kid Flash, the bane of her existence didn't need to know she was failing school. Kaldur didn't need school; he was probably in Atlantean college or whatever they had.

Who else did she have but Boy Wonder to talk to, her mum had reminded her constantly of his offer as a tutor and it was well known the Boy Wonder was smart, maybe he knew French and he did have only three tests she had to nail to stay apart of the team.

He was sitting in the mountain when she finally built up enough courage to ask, and when she did, it came out simply, "I need a tutor."

It was at her house, seven at night and she was waiting anxiously by her window, watching the street below. The smell of cake wafted from the kitchen, her mum was eager to impress the Boy Wonder, since Artemis wasn't the only fan-girl in her family. When he did arrive, there was a knock on the door and Artemis launched herself off the windowsill, out of her room and reached the door before he could knock a second time. She opened the door to see black shades and a grim expression.

"I know it isn't a fancy neighbourhood." Artemis shrugged trying to play off the embarrassment she felt for him seeing her measly apartment.

"Well, it smells delicious." He smirked.

She stepped back to let him in, she nodded to the books at the table and he knelt down to flick through her French books. Paula wheeled through with a plate of sandwiches, cake and glasses of lemonade. Boy Wonder took a glass and a sandwich thankfully.

"So Robin, where do we start? I really need this C."

"Oh," he finished the sandwich, "I guarantee an 'A'. What topic is the test on?"

"Jobs." Artemis admitted ruefully.

"Gotcha, you need to take the French word and think of how it relates to the English word. The two languages derive from Latin, so they may be similar, plus English takes a lot of words from the French vocabulary when the Normans invaded England in 1066 then England colonised Jamestown in 1607, which was the beginning of the American English language."

Artemis just watched him speak, only hearing the first sentence, Robin sighed at her lost expression.

He began again, "For example, architect is architecte, and doctor is médecin."

"Oh, I see."

"Yeah, we're going to make a separate list and beside it, write down how they sound familiar; then we'll test each other." He took a bite of some cake as he nodded, then he looked at the slice of cake as if it was the weirdest thing in the world. "This is good, is this carrot cake?"

"Yep, a bet you can't make carrot cake boring."

"Actually, a recipe carrot cake, or close to it, was first recorded in Roman times, only to be brought back by Britain in the first World War when rations made ingredients hard to get hold on, especially things like chocolate or vanilla that had to be imported."

"Oh my God, you did it."

"It's one of my least effective talents in battle but you should watch me put Batman to sleep; anytime I tell him about my feelings and he's suddenly tired and needs to leave for bed."

"Is Batman really as emotionless as he is…well, as Batman?"

"You should have been there when he gave me the 'birds and the bees' talk. No emotion whatsoever.  
It felt more like an interrogation then a life lesson. He was no happy?"

Artemis started to laugh.

"What is it?"

"I can just imagine Superman having to give the talk to Superboy." Robin chuckled coolly but Artemis was close to wetting herself.

"Please don't hurt yourself." Robin pleaded, helplessly looking on as Artemis struggled to catch her breath. "I do have my belt with me; do you need the anecdote to the Joker's laughing gas or something?"

And after all that, she did get an A.

She had a box of brownies, and se stared at the subconsciously as she waited for the zeta beam to spit her out in the mountain. She was faced with Aqualad squaring against Superboy. She didn't stick around to find out who was winning, she pushed past Kid Flash was watching with a sandwich and Miss Martian was cheering on Superboy. She found Robin in the rec. room, away from every one else, as usual and alone instead. He was typing something on his keypad, he saw her and smiled. She sight beside him on the sofa and gave him brownies silently, lost for words.

"How did it go?"

"I got full marks. This is a present from my mum for helping me and her beforehand."

He saw the brownies and his eyes widened. "Don't tell Batman."

Artemis laughed and opened the tin for him to see. He split them between them even though they were all for him. She was used to his selflessness by now. She curled up beside him, contemplating, leaning on him, and switched the TV on. She looked over his shoulder to see the computer, just screens and screens of code. She watched him instead of the TV for a second even though she had no clue what he was doing before some soap opera drew her attention. Someone was suing someone for letting their dog poop or something stupid. Slowly she nodded off.


	5. Robin - Fear Toxin

**I don't own DC.**

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**Fear Toxin—**

"It's bad enough I'm only for the publicity, now I have to be a charity case at a charity fundraiser."

Those words hit Bruce hard, he blinked for a moment. He knew his ward was having a bad day and he had at first thought it best to give him some space. After all, Bruce was still new to everything and so there really wasn't anything else he knew of to do. Then he had thought about bringing him to that party he was holding for one of Gotham's many full hospitals, on the notion that he would be too bored to be sad. It was under the pretence that whatever was bugging the young boy was minor, of course his Bat-intuition had failed him again. Quite clearly it was worse; Bruce only came to understand that fact when they were sitting before the Academy's head-teacher.

She had called reporting that Dick seemed unwell, and although he insisted he was fine, the billionaire should come immediately. Upon arriving, he saw from where the teacher's concerns had stemmed, Dick had been waiting, pale face and dull sunken eyes fixed on his shoes. Mrs Thyme explained how a student, Miss Gordon, had dragged him to the office when he refused to eat. Other teachers had noticed his distant look but hadn't acted upon it since Dick had still managed to reach all expectations even without being focused. Consequently, the question had arisen of whether he should be moved up another year.

Dick never even looked up to acknowledge when his guardian had entered, only sat still and silent while the adults spoke. Bruce had thanked the teacher for calling and agreed to take him home.

"I'm sorry; I know you're a busy man."

"Actually, my day was planned to be a rare quiet one, I don't have anywhere to be until the gala this afternoon. Maybe Dick can come with…" he turned to the boy, his tone simultaneously questioning, "…it can take his mind off whatever the problem is, unless you just want to rest." Bruce silently begged for an answer as he thought back to that night's patrol, maybe something could have caused this… "I'm sure Ivery would love to meet you."

That was when his head had snapped up and he had spoken for the first time. "It's bad enough I'm only for the publicity, now I have to be a charity case at a charity fundraiser." The harsh tone startled the both of them.

A brief expression flittered over the acrobat's face, as if someone had slapped him; he had even surprised himself. His features hardened for a second and his brows furrowed. The two concerned people watched with rising panic as Dick seemed to be battling his own mind, it reminded Bruce of the day the started their partnership before he was his ward when, to him, he was just Trace. And just as he had that night, the boy forced his expression to soften and a glint of scared innocence shined in his eyes. He looked between the teacher and Bruce then lastly back at his shoes before nodding slowly.

"I'm sorry. I don't think I'm myself."

They had battled Scarecrow that night, the realisation hit him hard as he watched his (dare he say it) son even his breathing and sit back from where he had leant forwards in the outburst. The Batman's self-control came in handy as he swallowed the urge to drag him back to the cave for tests. In fact, Bruce Wayne excused himself and he led Dick from the school briskly. Before Alfred could step out of the car, Bruce held Dick's door and eyed him meticulously as the younger one climbed in. He got in his own seat on the other side as he ordered, not asked but ordered, the butler to take every shortcut possible back.

"Can I ask what the problem is, Master Bruce?" The elderly man spared a glance back at his charges in the rear-view mirror as he pulled out of the car park.

"We will need to test for Scarecrow's fear toxin."

"Oh dear, should we rush then?"

"Yes," he turned to the boy in question, "if you were poisoned, Dick, it means it's been in your system for at least twelve hours."

"Poison? I didn't go near the canisters last night."

"We'll run tests and hope for the best, or are you going to tell me now if something's bothering you?"

He shook his head and leant on the window, letting the engine's vibrations hum him to sleep. The next time he stirred, he was in his room. The duvet felt heavy on his chest and as he pushed it away so he could breathe the cold hit him and made him shiver. Still half asleep, he lifted his head off the pillow to see Bruce on the chair beside his bed.

"The anecdote is already administered; you just need to sleep it off. You won't go to school for a few days."

Richard mumbled something incoherent and reached blindly for his phone on his bedside locker, he accidentally knocked it onto the floor and Bruce picked it up instead. "Can you text Barbara to save the homework for me?"

"Sure thing but don't stress yourself. If anything gets too much, you'll tell me…or someone at least."

"M'kay, night night, Bwuce."

"Dick, what you said in the teacher's office, it's not true. You're not here for the publicity, I don't ever want for you to think that."

"It's my fear, Bruce, the fear toxin was messing with my head. I didn't mean it, I promise."

"Okay, just so it's clear, good night."

"Night."


	6. M'gann - On Earth

**I don't own DC.**

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**M'gann on Earth—**

2010

Earth was okay, in M'gann's opinion. Of course, everyone around her, the humans, seemed to hate it so much. Apparently the crime rate, the pollution, the politics and the media were all to blame. However, the Martian didn't see it like that; see fought against the crime rate, the pollution never bothered her on the breezy beach of Happy Harbour, just like any other sixteen-year-old, she never paid attention to politics and saw no problem with the media. In its place she saw a beautiful country, so different from her own, and she had wonderful friends to teach her their ways.

For instance, she hovered over the infamous city of Gotham, waiting for her newly formed team to prepare, consisting of Kid Flash and Aqualad and the rather handsome clone they had saved form the labs back in Washington. The League had authorised this on the grounds that they'd be minded by Red Tornado and Batman even gave them missions. The Joker had broken out of Arkham and a massive shipment of illegal weapons designed to cut through most things was due that night. Therefore, the Batman had prioritised the 'Clown Prince', as Kid Flash called him, and left the team to sort out the shipment.

"A real job at last." Wally buzzed in his seat.

"Any threat we've faced has been real."

"No, Supes, you don't get it. Batman doesn't let anyone in his city, no metas and no leaguers. Crime is in every corner and nothing here will be easy."

"Then why are you smiling, friend, that doesn't sound good." Aqualad enquired.

Green eyes bored into the Atlantean with excitement, "We're being taken seriously; Speedy was wrong, so wrong. This is dangerous but we can handle it and now the League understands that too."

They were in the bioship, shrouded in their stealth mode and feeling pretty cool. Eyes were occasionally drawn to the dock below them, leaving Kid Flash wondering why Gotham was obsessed with warehouses and docks. Although, their hero dressed up like a giant bat and growled at anyone and everyone for anything and everything. Light rain pattered against the windows at irregular intervals and Kid Flash added 'gloomy weather' to his mental list of clichés too. His excitement for the mission was slowly simmering as he waited for action; however, some disappointment was sprouting.

"There!" Superboy had spotted the shifting shadow, it would have been something the others would have ignored but they didn't doubt the clone one bit.

They moved quickly, the ship dropped them onto the shadow's tail and they were all closing in. M'gann dared to fly close in her camouflage mode and Kid Flash streaked through the streets at the bottom for any other company. Aqualad barked the orders but kept his distance for a bigger picture all the same and Superboy didn't trust himself to keep silent stalking their prey. As it was the mind link was pretty quiet with all the members consumed with concentration. M'gann wasn't asking her curious questions since she felt pretty much grounded by Gotham's sinister air and Kid Flash wasn't as talkative because he knew the kind of city they were dealing with that night.

When they reached the dock front they instantly knew the shadow had slipped past them. Everyone looked to Superboy, with no accusation but for guidance. Silently, the Superboy looked around with a narrowed eyes and determined grimace. Then with a flourish of his hand, they were off running again. Three warehouses down and he changed direction weaving through building until he stopped at the other end.

"He's gone again." Connor growled.

"On the contrary." A young voice rang and the group span to see and boy sitting at the roof's edge, with his legs dangling carelessly over the side.

His eyes were covered by the mask; black material protecting his identity, apart from that he was in black jeans and trainers. Nothing was special about the clothing apart from the fingerless gloves seemed to fizz with something, although it was something he held. The boy smirked as he looked at the small group of heroes and the said teens groaned.

"Trace, where have you been?"

He held up what sparked in his hand, "This is what we're after right?"

"Right." Aqualad sighed, "We are finished then here, we'll go back to the bio-ship and report back."


	7. Robin - Weep Alone

**I don't own DC.**

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**Weep Alone**

He'd heard an idiom somewhere: Laugh and the world laughs with you; weep and you weep alone. Trace wasn't laughing anymore, but he wasn't exactly weeping either. Batman noticed his ward was devoid of his usual bubbly attitude and had retreated into himself. It had started after a mission gone wrong with the Joker no less. The team all been captured and kept apart but from what the rest said, they weren't touched after being caught. Trace however, hadn't answered any questions on that night and so everyone had given up asking. The boy wouldn't speak, eat or even move of his own accord;

The first night, he'd just followed the Batman home that night, like a puppy. Bruce had led him to bed realising he wouldn't go himself, he ushered him into bed and again asked what had happened that night. He hadn't gotten an answer of course, just a blank expression. He had waited for the laugh, the cheeky 'did you miss me on patrol?' but Richard just closed his eyes when the Batman in disguise moved to leave. Not even a 'Good Night'. And in the morning, he hadn't eaten, only sat there waiting for Bruce. Again, that blank expression. He would answer, wouldn't eat his breakfast and so Bruce had decided he'd stay home.

After three days, the Batman was concerned but Bruce was really worried. Trace always had _that_ coping mechanism; he had _that_ laugh; it unsettled everyone else but somehow helped him push on. It worked, Trace remained sane and that was all the Batman cared for. Had the laugh failed him? Had he turned to something else to control whatever fear the Joker had brought to life within him? Had the boy snapped after so long pretending he was okay? Batman had been contemplating causes and solutions as he walked past his wards room. He paused to check on his ward only to hear quiet singing.

"Hush little boy now don't you cry. There's always the hope that you will die. Batman really didn't think, now your last breath will scream for him."

"Richard?"

No answer but the singing had stopped.

"Dick?"

The boy sat up from where he'd been bed ridden by both Bruce and Dinah. Something told him Dinah's sessions with the boy would be set back exponentially. Had his suicidal tendencies returned? Bruce sat at the edge of the bed and they sat in silence. Bruce knew he had to be gentle, had to be soft, had to be patient. He had to take it at Richard's pace. Ever since he'd adopted the boy that October the year before, he was strong but the years on the street had worn his sanity down.

"Richard what was that just now?"

"The song." It was two words but it was still two words more than he'd said in three days that wasn't idle murmuring or singing. "Joker's song."

"What's the song?"

Richard pointed to a book placed precariously on his nightstand. Hesitantly, he flicked through and took a steadying breath before he looked back to his ward. The pages were filled with that rhyming verse, sometimes there were pictures of a boy vaguely resembling Trace crying and then a black shape that was meant to be Batman had his back to the smaller figure. The whole book was filled with this obsession with Batman not being there, Trace being alone. However, it was the last page that was the worst of all; Batman slammed the book close and threw it in the bin in the corner of Richard's room.

Richard winced then raced to the bin, his face breaking from the expressionless faze and showing fear instead. He leaned back, crossed his legs and let the book rest on his lap, open to the last page. Bruce knelt behind him, trying to pry the book from him but the boy had an iron grip on it. He wouldn't stop looking at it; eventually tears formed in his eyes and fell to distort the ink of the page. The pen out lining a massive noose blurred and soon quiet sobs could be heard from the acrobat. Finally he let go of the book and Bruce took it from him.

"What happened?"

"There was a room; I was tied to a chair. He wouldn't stop yelling. He didn't even hurt me. It was the things he said, he wouldn't leave me alone. For five hours, he circled me, yelled at me, laughed at me. I couldn't take it. He's always laughing at me! It's like there's some joke that I'm not in on. I laugh back because I know it unnerves people, just like the Joker's laugh unnerves me. It haunts me. Any nightmare not about my parents, it's him. From day one, he's always found ways to hurt me. He's always been able to get under my skin and make it crawl.

"I hate that he catches me off guard every time. I always laugh it off but at night-time after he's been carted off. I can still hear the laugh, each and every taunt. It annoys me that he'll target me; he had superheroes in the other room for God's sake. Miss Martian is too emotional; Kid Flash has no composure; Superboy can easily be pushed into a mindless rage and even Artemis, if he presses all the right buttons and he can, will react. Joker loves to provoke me, why not them?"

Bruce sighed, scooping up the boy and holding him close to his chest. "Because you are strong, you are a challenge. He knows you can't be broken and so he tries to break you. I'll always tell you that a tree is too dangerous to climb, turn around and you're already at the top."

"You think I'm like him."

"No, no! Everyone will do what their told they can't to prove someone wrong, or themselves wrong. It's human nature. Dick, you should have told me it affects you so much. You suppressed these fears and now they've torn into you. Talk to me next time, please." He pleaded.

"I didn't want you to think I'm weak."

"If you were weak, you wouldn't be here today with four years experience in crime-fighting. You aren't weak and I'd never think that of you. Right now, you're upset; all I care about is helping you not judging you."

Richard curled up to Bruce, humming the same tune as his guardian, and mentor, rocked him. He started to sing again, scaring Bruce until he heard the words. "Hush little boy now don't you cry. I didn't know you were that terrified. Joker really didn't think now Bruce will find and arrest him."


	8. Robin - A Padded Prison

**I don't own DC.**

* * *

_**A Padded Prison—**_

_Take from uniform_

_Put on a brave face_

_Save them_

_Be the hero_

_Be the best_

_I won't live before I die_

_I want to be normal_

_Keep the secret_

_Hide the weakness._

Those were the words carved into the Boy Wonder's skin, anywhere where no one would ever look, across his stomach and down his legs. They always looked at the wrists but never his legs, so when Bruce found the Bat-a-rang on his en suite bathroom shelf, still slick with the tiniest drip of his blood, he'd demanded the boy offer his wrists. He did and watched the supposed great detective believe the lie of a splinter from a beam of wood he'd been tied to that night.

_Useless._

_Too young._

_Too innocent._

_Too stupid to realise._

_Too naive to understand._

_Brainwashed._

_Bait._

_A human shield._

_Manipulated by the Batman._

_Abused and forced to be a vigilante._

Those were the words thrown at him and the Batman constantly but the Dark Knight didn't care. He didn't notice how Robin would flinch behind his mask at the thought of the only man who ever cared about him anymore coercing him into such a dangerous position. He was sure he wasn't brainwashed, sure he did it because it was Batman's goal bit it was his too. He wasn't just adopted to be Robin, he could stop any time and Bruce would still love him, if he does at all.

_Fake._

_Too perfect._

_Always lying. _

_Friends with no one._

_Just for the image._

_Always injured._

_Abused._

_Pays for the boys silence._

_He hasn't got anything else._

_Guilted into unlawful acts_.

Those were the words thrown at him and Bruce but the billionaire didn't care. They were just the press. They would say anything to get a story for the front page. As famous individuals that would be slandered but it just couldn't be helped. It had to be ignored, tuned out when really Richard could never stop thinking about it. All the criticism and hate built up inside of him and he began to believe it himself. Who was he really? And would he ever be happy? Or would he be doomed to live this half-empty life until the day he died, either of old age or in battle.

_Empty. _

_Who am I to others?_

_Which life do I live?_

_And which is the lie?_

_With too many regrets._

_Haven't even kissed a girl._

_Or done any of the crazy stuff kids should do._

_Doomed to die young…_

_…die alone…_

_…and unaccomplished._

Richard didn't realise one day when the Batman sent the team off on a mission without him, telling him Gotham needed him. He had only nodded at the time, and blindly followed his mentor back into the Batcave and deeper into a room he'd never seen used before. He was vaguely aware of his surroundings, a white room of padded walls and a single bed off in a corner with…were they straps? On the realisation, for what the room was for, he tensed but Bruce had locked the door.

_Trapped now._

_He knows your failings_

"What's happening?" He asked innocently.

He pulled down the cowl, his features became softer and eyes became duller. "Sit down Richard."

He remained standing while Bruce perched on the bed, patting the space on the bed. "Why is this…?"

"I've noticed your wrists; you're going to explain why you've been doing this to yourself."

_Trapped now._

_He knows you're weak._

"I don't, no…" He started to retreat back into the wall, he hit the padded material of the wall and his hand twitched to go for his belt; he wasn't used to Bruce cornering him like this, it felt wrong, he felt betrayed.

Bruce stood swiftly and tore his belt and gloves from him, took his face in a massive hand and forced him to look into his eyes. For a moment, Richard was actually scared of Bruce and so he started to pull away, to thrash. The Batman restrained him quickly, pinned against the wall.

_Trapped now._

_Look what you've done._

He dragged the frantic boy to the bed, clasps enclosed around his wrist and ankles and he was restrained. Bruce stood back to look at his ward. Sweat broke on his brow, not from exertion but from stress.

_A disappointment to him._

_A disappointment to yourself._

"Explain, and I let you go. I don't like doing this." Batman sighed. "You've done nothing wrong. Richard, I'm just scared that you're hurting yourself and I don't know why."

Batman—no—Bruce looked him in the eye, then his pupils turned a shade of red, he pulled back but the restraints kept him still. The face of his mentor paled and twisted into a wicked grin, smeared with make-up and topped with greasy hair the shade of vomit. Robin faced the Joker as the clown loomed over him. He cackled and taunted but the boy didn't listen. He shrunk into himself, trying to escape the Clown Prince of Gotham. Reality warped around him and he could here the voices of the villains laughing at him, amongst the noise, he heard the Batman.

"Robin, it's not real, none of its real. Open your eyes, Robin…Richard."

He obeyed the uncharacteristically soft voice and opened his eyes to see Alfred. He was lying down on a bench in the main cave, free of restraints and with Bruce's worried gaze studying him. As he sat, he looked at his wrists. There were no scars and no evidence of his self-hatred. He looked up to Alfred who still held the needle of the anti-toxin.

"Master Richard, are you okay? Can you hear me now?" The butler asked, his voice instantly calmed him.

"Fear toxin?" He presumed with weak voice.

Bruce patted his ward on the shoulder reassuringly. "Yes, Scarecrow caught you with a gas bomb. You had me worried there."

Richard launched for Bruce looping his arms around Bruce's neck and hugging him tight. After a second of hesitation, Bruce hugged him back.

"Woah, are you okay, Dick?"

"I am now."


	9. Robin - A Young Hero

**I don't own DC.**

* * *

**Author's note:  
Sorry for the wait 89 days, can you believe it?  
****Anyway, ****I've written chapters from a perspective of Robin's audio logs while he's investigating 'haunted' houses-my inspiration being youtube horror game walkthroughs. I want to know if you'd like to see them; please let me know.****  
**

A real look inside the minds of our two heroes to see the toll such a life can take on the life of a child and his mentor.

* * *

_**Batman**_

Robin did well, Batman was impressed. He seemed to move faster before Ivy's vines could graze him and he moved fluidly, swinging from beam to beam of the warehouse roof to reach the water tank at the end of the building. He was engaged in distracting the plants as his younger partner tipped some unknown substance in the water and nimbly jumped up to the nearest sprinkler sensor. He punched it and a torrent of water was unleashed upon the plant. Robin was covering his mouth and with a nod to Batman, he did the same. A couple seconds after the water soaked into the plants, they started to pale, whither and trash. Once the beast of horticulture lay unmoving, the Dark Knight advanced upon the culprit at fault. It was swift after that, with Ivy being confused as to what just happened until the young acrobat stepped up to wait behind the Batman; she seemed to realise it must have been him and gave in.

He gave a nod to the younger boy; _well done_, he tried to say but in return, received a remorseful look. He'd ask later but they had to get back to get changed before whatever was in the water, soaked through to their skin. He didn't know what Boy Wonder had slipped into the water system but it must have been a pesticide of some sort, a fast acting one too. He would praise the boy on his quick thinking later but it was late and they were both no doubt tired. Batman thought of dropping the boy off and looping around the city without him but hen scolded himself: the boy wasn't nine anymore, he could handle it, he had been trained to. Robin seemed to withdraw into himself on the way home; he gave none committal answers about the pesticide and kept his head low. The feeling of guilt hung heavily in the air and Batman couldn't dispel it with the cowl on. So he had to wait in silence.

He parked up the Batmobile, pulled the mask down and faced Robin. The boy swerved to avoid the billionaire's gaze. He took off his mask as he stripped the Kevlar until he only had the tights and gym vest he wore underneath in the winter months, since Batman's suit was insulated but his was not. Meanwhile, the Batman himself slipped into sweats and slipped a vile of Ivy's new toxin into the scanner. The click of the door, to the manor above, opening and closing rang out through the quiet cave. It was the only noise to warn the two vigilantes of Alfred's arrival. The kind elderly man checked Robin over for scrapes before eyeing his older ward, knowing that they wouldn't tell they were injured otherwise. When he was sure they were okay he turned to Bruce and pulled a leaf from his suit with a knowing look and a smirk.

"Master Bruce, it's earlier than usual. I trust the commotion infecting the news has been put to a stop."

"Yes, that was Robin." Bruce looked for the boy, but found he had left the cave already, before Bruce could get around to praising him.

"The boy's unusually quiet." He noted, picking up on the problem straight away. "Did something happen during patrol?" He questioned but Bruce couldn't answer. He glanced up to the stairs after his ward and was about to follow him but the computer chimed behind him.

"That was fast." He muttered, distracted again, as he turned back to analyse the results, "It's a strain we've encountered before but not in a while, no wonder it found it so fast. The anecdote was mass-produced after a massive incident a while back; they should still have some in the hospitals. Good, I can go see Robin now."

He trawled through the manor, as he tried to work out what to say. He froze as he heard a frustrated scream from within the boy's room, followed by a rustle of papers. Bruce opened the door to a homework chaos. He sat cross-legged in his pyjamas amongst a swamp of work.

He looked up from where he was trying to organise the mess, "The folder split, I had it all organised in priority and now it's all everywhere."

"You have plenty of folders." Bruce reasoned.

"But I have no time to reorder them." Richard sighed, his anger dissipating into exhaustion.

"What you did out there tonight…" Bruce started. He wanted to continue '…was impressive.' But Richard winced instead.

"I disobeyed you, I'm sorry."

'I would have done the same' came out as "I know, but I wanted to say…"

"That you're disappointed? I know, please don't say it, I know." Richard cut in with an irritated tone.

Bruce just could tell that something else was angering him but Bruce didn't know how to ask what it was. He was very much like the Dark Knight himself in that, faced with a direct question, and he gives an indirect answer that could make the ever-so-clam Martian ManHunter pull his hair out—presuming he took a form with hair. He watched the boy mutter mild obscenities, more or less, what he planned to do with his history teachers' favourite board pen if he gave them once more due-next-day assignment. Bruce winced through it all but when he was finally done he looked Richard in the eye and saw an exhausted child.

"Bed." He said simply and Richard nodded with a yawn for effect.

"I think that's a good idea."

"Richard, I'm not disappointed, actually, I'm impressed. Get some sleep, I'll call in sick for you in your school tomorrow, take the day to relax and sort your homework out then."

"A day off, why?"

"If you carry on stressing yourself out then it will make you ill."

"Okay, night Bruce." He climbed into bed, pushing the folder under his desk first. He curled up under the covers and looked up at his mentor with sleepy eyes, "why did you tell me to run away for warehouse?"

"Because I never you'd ignore me and come back with a plan."

* * *

_**Robin**_

DDT was man's best friend. Well if the said man was actually a boy battling a ten foot, man-eating fly trap, then it would be. There had been an industrialised vat of it, seven warehouses down; he'd caught sight of it on the way up and so when the Batman told him to retreat because it was too dangerous, he'd taken the opportunity to run back to a take a vial from his belt. A vial was all he needed, he had the plan forming in his head and with any luck Ivy would think he'd ran away for good. He darted back to the warehouse and slipped in, by the time Ivy did see him, he was already in the rafters and the plants vines were too thick to reach to the complex structure of wires, cables and beams. Ivy had lost the second he reached the tank.

Then five minutes later, Batman was done with Ivy and glancing back at Robin. His look said it all, _you disobeyed me_. Robin only sighed and looked to his feet, he didn't mean to disobey him but he wasn't going to leave his guardian to fight the thing alone. Arguing was pointless so he just kept quiet; even if it meant Batman wouldn't allow Robin out tomorrow because he 'can't trust him to follow orders'. He hung his head low as he followed his mentor and guardian back to the Bat-mobile. On the way back, the Batman seemed to want to say something but didn't and he felt a pang of guilt as it blossomed.

When they made it home, Richard slipped upstairs as soon as he changed, vaguely hearing Alfred's greeting and his questioning gaze. "Master Bruce, it's earlier than usual. I trust the commotion infecting the news has been put to a stop."

He dragged his feet up to his room and slammed the door behind him before he changed into his pyjamas.

"Can't do anything right." He muttered angrily to himself. "Always doing one thing wrong or getting in the way."

He scooped up his folder and threw it at his desk but the folder split and papers went everywhere. For a second, Richard didn't react and then he fell into his bed and screamed into the pillow, before sitting down to collect the sheets up just as Bruce entered.

"The folder split, I had it all organised in priority and now it's all everywhere." He explained.

"You have plenty of folders."

"But I have no time to reorder them." He sighed and mentally screamed although he couldn't do it aloud because Batman would think he was weak and he couldn't make his situation any worse.

"What you did out there tonight…"

Richard cut in, not wanting Bruce to continue with telling him off, "I disobeyed you, I'm sorry."

"I know, but I wanted to say…"

"That you're disappointed? I know, please don't say it, I know. I swear this isn't fair," he muttered again, "if he assigns us one more homework due in the next day, then I will shove his favourite pen into his sharpener and ruin them both in front of his face before I cover him in the plastic shards and watch him yell at me about respecting school property etcetera, etcetera." Bruce just watched him as he rambled.

"Bed." He said finally, and Richard couldn't hide a yawn.

_Great timing_, he cursed himself. "I think that's a good idea."

Richard fell into his sheets and pulled up the blankets around him, wishing Bruce couldn't tuck him in, however, that would be asking too much of the great stoic Batman, even though he was currently Bruce.

"Richard, I'm not disappointed, actually, I'm impressed. Get some sleep, I'll call in sick for you in your school tomorrow, take the day to relax and sort your homework out then."

That caught him by surprise, school was everything, he couldn't slip on any subject and it put so much pressure on him and yet he had proposed something like this, "A day off, why?"

"If you carry on stressing yourself out then it will make you ill."

"Okay, night Bruce." He decided not to challenge it but then the thought occurred to him, he'd told him to leave, whether he thought he couldn't handle it or he was hiding something, it still didn't bode well. He wanted to know, "why did you tell me to run away for warehouse?"

"Because I never you'd ignore me and come back with a plan." Then he saw something in Bruce that could have been a smile.

Or maybe he just knew him too well.

Richard closed his eyes as Bruce left. He heard the door click shut as he thought over the events of the night. Batman had been looking at him weirdly ever since they finished up patrol, so if it hadn't been disappointment was it confusion, concern or doubt. Did he doubt him? Lately Robin had been stressing so much with remaining top in the class in every subject, even PE while at the same time not letting his gymnastics give him away as Robin. Even as Robin, seeing all the trauma and death, he had to keep his emotion and fears under wraps, without letting it affect Richard.

Richard was perfect; rich with a guardian's money, handsome, top of the class in every class and perfect in every way imaginable.

He had no fears, no problems, no struggles and no nightmares plaguing him, making him twist, turn and scream in his sleep.

Robin was bold, strong willed and a hero everyone looked up to help them, save them, remain calm as if nothing was wrong,

When actually he didn't know what he was.

He shamed himself for being scared, neither of his identities could feel that, and he hated himself for feeling empty since as Robin he battled for justice each night and Richard stood behind Bruce to pave a better future for Gotham. There was no room to shed all the sadness, remorse, guilt and self-hatred so it bubbled up inside him, fermented like alcohol into something stronger, so intoxicating that his vision blurred and his back arched. He'd bite his lip and squeeze his eyes shut for the fear of letting it out in a scream. And he wouldn't open his eyes until after he was sure he had t under control because if he did then tears would flow.

This limbo identity had no friends and no family, he was trapped, playing as two people; neither of them were the real him.

However, he was too scared of being judged to ask for the help.

This was the burden of a young hero.


	10. Collection

**I'm back, I'm not dead, just overworked. XD. I don't own DC.**

* * *

**Collection—**

"Not obsessively no!" M'gann growled uncharacteristically at Connor, and pushed past him and Sphere.

They had been 'fixing' the bike, and yet not really, if you know what I mean until the bike had toppled. Connor, being Connor moved to protect M'gann.

"Remember our first mission? I picked up a boulder telekinetically and crushed a compact robot's frame, the same frame that had withstood punches from you. I am in no way weak Connor."

"Don't you want me to look after you?" He asked with a tone of hurt in his voice.

"Not obsessively no!"

And so she fled to her room, tears streaking her emerald cheeks, and knocking Robin aside in the process. Robin called after her and when she didn't answer, he followed her to her room and waited patiently at the doorway as the Martian's sobs receded. When she turned back around, she gasped upon seeing him there; she had been clearly unaware that he had come to see what distressed her.

_But he has his own problems._ She mentally scolded herself, _why would he bother with you?_

"How long have you been there?" She asked; her voice was tired and quiet.

"Long enough to be concerned." Although his deadpanned reply gave no emotion through voice or face, M'gann had the feeling that the whites of his mask portrayed his compassion.

"Go away." She whispered.

"No."

"What?"

He stepped forwards from the doorframe, "As a friend, it's my job to try and get closer when you push me away, to remind you that I care, and there's nothing that you could say or do to change my mind. Also I'm impossibly stubborn, eventually I'll know why you're upset and I'll either be able to help or just be a shoulder for you to cry on." He told her softly.

Mentally, she reached out to him and felt nothing but his concern for her, no pity like she had dreaded. For some reason, all her fears for what they would think of her seemed so petty. She had spoken to Robin least of all the members and she still knew little. She had, with the others, accepted that they just had a quiet bird, on that liked to keep to himself.

It was rare moments like this where she thought of him as a little brother and so she dragged him into a hug before he could object. She hadn't told him why she was upset; he didn't need to know to comfort her. She cried into his embrace and he returned the gesture, if not a little awkwardly, with rubbing reassuring circles into her back.

She smiled at his effort: of course, Batman wasn't a hugger.

"What did you just call me?" The clone roared.

"Superbaby, Superbaby." Klarion taunted like a child, and then was enveloped by a cloud of smoke.

Superboy charged—a snarl on his face and a feral glint in his eyes. The smoke dissipated to reveal the empty corner of the warehouse where Klarion had stood but was no longer. Superboy was left panting, grasping at the thin tendrils of smoke as they flittered away in the air. As his rage dimmed, he became aware of the quiet in his mind. The mindlink was down and he was alone. At least, he had been, if only for a second…

There was a scuffle of rubber on metal, a small sound in the large building and yet it was the loudest noise. Superboy looked up to see the darkness of the rafts above. A figure of darker shadow stood out. Moonlight flittered through the warehouse doors, reflecting in the figure's mask. Robin wavered where he balanced on the support beam.

On a closer look, his ebony hair was a mess, his skin a shade pale with sheen of sweat. His cape was missing and, his tunic scuffed. Superboy inspected the bird. Only one problem, the only thing that could damage that Kevlar was bullets. Superboy's heart rate picked up, his throat closed and the hairs on his arms stood straight. The team had been split into two; KF had run away from Superboy long ago but Robin had been put with M'gann.

So Robin, Boy Invincible was shaken from a gun fight. Surely if M'gann was hurt he would have been told straight away…Robin would be laughing away even though they were in danger…so she was okay. Connor closed his eyes and tried to call out to her with his mind. Even if the mindlink was down, Connor and M'gann were 'connected'.

She didn't respond.

Connor couldn't take the silence.

"What, Robin, is…she?" He didn't want to ask; he couldn't breathe, never mind speak.

"Connor…" Robin's voice was quiet and strained,; there were no evil laughter and no sly grin. Devoid of his remarks, he was deadly serious and if the bird stopped laughing, then there was s serious problem, "Connor, she's gone."

"No." He couldn't…

"They've taken her."

"But is she okay?"

"I don't know."

"Then what are we doing here? Get the others." He demanded.

"We're the only ones." Robin's grave voice was barely a whisper now.

He rocked uneasily on his feet and a grimace marred his face before, with a gasp, his shoulders slumped. Superboy ran forward and caught the bird when he fell from his branch. Connor confirmed his suspicions: Robin was unconscious. Their youngest and arguably most vulnerable member wasn't able to stay awake. Their majority of members were missing. The people to save him from Cadmus: he failed them.

* * *

"Oh no." Artemis.

"Megalicious? In yoga clothes!" Kid Flash.

"My body doesn't do that." Superboy.

"It will be a…team-bonding exercise." Aqualad.

"I'm down for it." Robin.

"Me too, I want to try." M'gann.

All Canary had said was: "How about we try yoga?" The place had erupted with noise; Canar raised a hand and silenced everyone. The senior hero looked between all six members assessing how she thought they would do. She and Batman had decided Superboy needed to find something relaxing and Kid Flash needed to learn how to restrain his energy. Lastly, it had to be something they could do without a League member.

"Robin and Artemis can teach you, I'm off." The Zeta beam whirred and she was gone, leaving the spell-bound teenagers behind, each one looking to another for help.

Since Robin seemed content with his flexibility, everyone looked to Artemis.

"Recognised Artemis BO7." She left too.

Silence was left behind as time stretched on; the teen heroes looked around at the spread of blue yoga mats in a circle but now there was only five members.

Robin sat down first, taking his boots and socks off, placing them neatly behind the mat and arranged himself in a comfortable cross-legged position. Miss Martian, as eager as ever, sat beside him to his right—though she had no boots. Aqualad was also barefoot and so just sat beside her. Kid Flash took off his boots and took the mat beside their leader and left Superboy standing.

"Come on, Connor." M'gann cajoled.

With a knowing smirk, Robin pointed towards the seat opposite Miss Martian, he reluctantly took it.

"Okay, I think we'll start with some breathing exercises, some stretches and the spinal twists."

Later…

...

It didn't have to happen like this.

"My back won't bend that far, Robin, stop showing off." KF groaned.

"You can do it; doesn't mean we can." Superboy added.

"The two of you wouldn't be so rigid if you relaxed and took this seriously." Robin bit back with a controlled vehemence.

"I wanted to do hand to hand combat, not bend over in weird ways!"

"Fine!" Robin snapped, standing up and looking down on his startled friends that hadn't expected his outburst. "Go, all of you. I wanted to show you my skill set, but, without powers, it's clearly too boring for you! You want to do something fast-paced and epic?"

"Well, yeah." The speedster replied hesitantly—he looked ready to apologise already.

"Then go jump off a cliff!" Robin left quickly, disappearing deeper into the mountain in his rage.

"There was no need for such a remark!" Aqualad called after him to no avail.

"It's okay, I'll go say sorry." In a whirl of wind, Wally was gone too.

Kaldur stood and dusted himself off even though he wasn't really dirty. "And I hoped we could do something calm for once."

"I'm sorry, Kaldur." M'gann offered from where she held her 'Downward Dog' pose—she quite enjoyed yoga.

"You needn't apologise; it wasn't your fault. Well, I think I'll turn in for the night, goodnight you two."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

"Recognised, Aqualad, BO2."

And then there were two.

"M'gann?"

"Yes, Connor?"

She looked up to see the clone's face inches from her own and she couldn't stop the small gasp from escaping her lips as she recoiled. It tipped her off balance and she crashed on her shoulder. Connor scooped her up and laid her in his lap. With a warm smile, he traced her jaw line as he looked into her chocolate brown eyes with his blues and leaned in for a kiss.

* * *

"I said go left!" Artemis' sharp voice rang through Robin's ear piece.

To improve teamwork, they were set on missions with just the two of them—Superboy was working over awkwardness with Aqualad, and Kid Flash was trying to keep his eyes off Miss Martian. While it was argued that he would distract her, Artemis had mentioned that the affection between Miss M and Supes would prove to be worse. Consequently, Robin was stuck with the cranky archer; he didn't complain but h was left muttering to himself as he navigated the sewers after Killer Croc while Artemis tracked his movements from above ground.

She was lucky.

The sewer stank. Moisture dripped from the ceiling; it was the only noise beside the movement of the water. Robin waded through knee-deep waste. Every time he saw a rat, he'd wielded the torch like a sword and the rodent scurried away from the light. The small squeak echoed against the stone walls.

"I know." He responded with a sigh. Since M'gann couldn't support them with a mindlink, he had to whisper into a comm. device.

"He was spotted around the inlet pipes, looping around. What are you doing?"

"Cutting him off. We can't just follow him, we have to…the fight will be on our terms, as Canary says."

They were both silent for a bit.

"He's close to you, behind you!" Artemis warned.

While trying to make as little noise as possible, Robin climbed out from the water and up to perch on a pipe that trickled a suspicious brown sludge. He patted the canister on his belt. This had to be quick; this wasn't meant to be a fight; after all, Batman didn't want him fighting Croc alone. Just throw the pellet, wait until the heavy duty tranquiliser knocks him out and, lastly, report in.

A growl reverberated through stone, sending the water rippling. Robin took the gas mask and fixed it firmly to his face as the monster grew near. The second he turned around the corner, he'd see the bird with his eyes being more accustomed to the dark and so Robin took a chance, throwing the pellet the second the grey scaled skin came into view. Smoke filled the sewer and Robin clutched his mask. A small wisp of the gas made it past the filters of Robin's mask.

His vision swam and he fought unconsciousness. He saw, as the as dissipated, Killer Croc, still standing and unaffected. The monster chuckled and the wall Robin leant on for support vibrated.

"You think you could catch me like that, the little wimp of a bird that you are."

Robin reached up to his ear and clicked on his comm. for Artemis to hear; he couldn't respond with the mask on his face and he couldn't risk breathing in anymore gas.

"Robin?" The irritation in Artemis' voice had been replaced with a tinge of caution.

"I will pick you apart, limb from limb and find joy in your screams." Killer Croc started forwards but Robin had no strength to move.

"Uh oh." Artemis seemed to catch on, "Robin, just run. I'll call for back up."

It was too late for him to run. He fell forwards off the pipe and Killer Croc gripped him by the waist with one massive hand. The freak of a crocodile leaned in, his putrid breath against the skin of the youngest hero.

"Who is this? Talking to the bird?"

"Let him go!" Artemis seethed.

"Say goodbye because it'll be the last she hears your pretty song, birdie."

"Never." Robin growled back when the mask was torn from his face.

And the world went black.

* * *

He'd barely made it to the dining room when the voice hit him, "Connor!"

"Hm?" The Half-Kryptonian lifted his head from where it had sat heavily on his shoulder all morning. "Morning M'gann."

"Good Morning, how are you?" She frowned and began to approach him.

"I'm fine." He assured the Martian, politely waving her away.

Her petite green face scrunched in concern but otherwise she turned back to the kitchen counter to make sandwiches for the both of them while Connor collected the things either of them would need. In seconds, of grabbing his timetable, he found he couldn't read the words before him. He saw the word Math…but what did he need for that? Did he have homework? Did M'gann have homework? He checked M'gann's notes, however the globular handwriting was particularly hard to read, even harder than his own spiky writing. He gave up, thinking about an optician's appointment.

"I think you're sick." The Martian observed from where she was packing the sandwiches. Worry marred her features. Once done with the lunches, she picked a glass and poured him some milk, setting it on the table in front of the sofa. "Take a seat, I'll pack the bags. Red Tornado?!"

The League Member didn't seem to be in hearing range so she packed the bags, lunches included and set Connor's by his feet and hers by her own chair.

"You don't have to do this."

"But you're sick, I've been waiting for Kid Flash and Artemis to get sick so I can look after them but they haven't." She stopped short. "Not that I _want _them to be sick…I just…you know."

"What about Robin?"

"Robin is Robin, besides Aqualad, you and I have stronger immune systems, I never expected it to be you to be sick."

"I'm not sick." He argued, raising his voice in his own temper but the banging in his head disagreed and reached a crescendo. He let his head fall to hit the table, the impact only made it worse. "Bullets bounce off me like staples; why does that hurt?"

"You poor thing. You need a good breakfast." …And so, she set about raiding the kitchen for him while he whimpered in self pity at the table.

"Recognised, Kid Flash B-03." The sharp female voice of the computer announced the ginger but she had barely finished before he stood before them.

Connor strained to look up to the new arrival.

KF's grin faded, "What's up…woah, hey are you alright? You look kind of pale."

"I'm fine."

"Alright, if I was you, I'd take my opportunity to safe off school."

"I'm fine." He insisted.

"Fine, fine, I'm only here for my PE kit I have my own school day to trusge through. Just…Supie, take some Ibuprofen and get some sleep tonight."

"Sleep? Yeah, I probably am not getting enough sleep, thank you."

"No prob, bye guys." Kid Flash ran off doen to his temporary room.

"Here," A sachet was thrust into Connor's face, "its Ibuprofen." She offered helpfully.

"He took it and swallowed the syrup, resting his head back on the table."

"I've got my bag, I'm gone." Kid Flash was just a whirlwind of movement and noise , aching Connor's sensitive head.

"Wally, what do you think is best for his breakfast?"

"Bran flakes with fruit, always, high in iron and vitamins, and with milk…"

"…milk has calcium, I know that." She giggled proudly.

"That's the one, Megalicious. Gotta go, guys, see ya, Supie, get better yeah?" And with that, he was gone.

"Bran Flakes, bran flakes."

"You're not my mother." The clone muttered bitterly into the table.

She turned on him. "If I was your mother, I'd send you right back to bed."

He paled and didn't question her again.


End file.
